Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Ibanez, Andruw, Pena
On this date seven years ago, six Astros pitchers combined to no-hit the Yankees in Yankee Stadium. Roy Oswalt started the game but had to leave after just one inning of work because of a groin issue. He was relieved by Pete Munro and then Kirk Saarloos before the three headed bullpen monster of Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel, and Billy Wagner closed things out. It ended the Yankees' streak of 6,980 games with at least one hit.
Here are a few links to check out from our fellow baseball bloggers…
- Phillies Nation says it's time for the Phightin's to part ways with Raul Ibanez.
- Meanwhile, Crashburn Alley wants to see the Phillies shake up the bench.
- The Sacrifice Bunt thinks Andruw Jones could be a nice pick-up for the Padres.
- More Hardball looks at the peculiar season of free agent to be Carlos Pena.
- Disciples of Uecker reviews the Jeff Suppan era in Milwaukee.
- River Ave. Blues believes the Yankees will only add complementary pieces this summer.
- Capitol Avenue Club sums up the Braves' approach to this week's draft.
- 1 Blue Jays Way rounds up all the different kinds of draft picks we hear about this time of year.
- Baseball Opinion goes back to the review the AL East and the 2005 amateur draft.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.
Angels Targeting Cubs Bats?
SUNDAY, 8:19pm: The Angels haven't aggressively pursued a trade for help yet and may not have Lee on their radar at this point, a source told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. With their 9-4 victory in Seattle today, the Angels improved to 7-1 without first baseman Kendry Morales in the lineup.
FRIDAY, 7:15pm: The Cubs have not asked Derrek Lee to approve a trade, sources tell Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Lee's contract includes a no-trade clause, so the club could not deal him without his approval.
When asked about the trade rumors, Lee responded:
"Who are the 'excellent sources?'" the 34-year-old asked. "I've heard nothing on it. I've got nothing for you."
The first baseman also told reporters that he is not bothered by the trade speculation and wants to remain with the Cubs.
THURSDAY, 9:10am: MLB.com's Carrie Muskat hears that the Cubs have not talked to the Angels about Nady or Lee (Twitter link). That doesn't mean the Angels aren't interested, but it shows that talks are not far along.
8:08am: The Angels appear to be targeting Xavier Nady, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter). Nady, 31, has appeared in three games at first for the Cubs this year.
WEDNESDAY, 10:40pm: The Cubs "may be involved in trade talks" that would send first baseman Derrek Lee to the Angels, according to Fred Mitchell and David Kaplan of The Chicago Tribune. The Halos, of course, will be without regular first baseman Kendry Morales for the foreseeable future following the fractured leg he suffered celebrating a walk-off grand slam last weekend.
The 34-year-old Lee missed tonight's game with a minor hamstring issue, but overall he's hitting just .232/.339/.366 on the season, down from last year's splendid .306/.393/.579 performance. The Cubs still owe him a touch under $9MM in salary for the remainder of the season, after which he'll become a free agent for the first time in his career.
We've already discussed the Angels' options for replacing Morales at length, though Lee's name was not mentioned.
2010 Draft Prospect: Matt Harvey
Major League Baseball's amateur draft will be held from June 7th-9th, so we're going to introduce you to some of the top players available between now and then.
Prior to the season, the story of UNC righty Matt Harvey was an unfortunate one. He and Rick Porcello were considered the top two high school pitchers in the 2007 draft, though Harvey priced himself into the third round and declined to sign with the Angels as the 118th overall pick. While Porcello was busy establishing himself as one of the game's best young pitchers, Harvey was struggling with the Tar Heels and his stock took a significant hit.
The good news is that an improved delivery has helped turn Harvey back in a prospect, and he's once again in the mix for the first round. ESPN's Keith Law and Baseball America are in agreement that he is the 20th best player available in next week's draft. Harvey owns one of the best fastballs in the class, which MLB.com's Draft Report says is up 96-97 mph. The great curveball he showed in high school is now inconsistent, but he's added a decent changeup and slider to his repertoire. There's a chance he may wind up in the bullpen down the road. The MLB.com link has video.
During Harvey's first two years on campus he walked 89 batters in 142.2 innings of work, not to mention the 18 wild pitches he threw. His strikeout rate was very good at 10.2 K/9, but it didn't mitigate all the free passes. Through 14 starts and 96 innings this spring, Harvey posted a 102/35 K/BB ratio, though he still chucked nine wild pitches.
Baseball America's Jim Callis projected the Mets to take Harvey with the seventh overall pick in his latest mock draft, while Law had him going to Diamondbacks at number six (sub. req'd for both). However, Law did say the Mets have been heavily linked the righty, and Yasmani Grandal's reported deal with the Royals could push him into their laps. Harvey is a Scott Boras client, so whoever drafts him shouldn't expect a discount for his struggles as a freshman and sophomore.
Cardinals Sign Randy Winn
11:56am: John Shea of The San Francisco Chronicle tweets that the deal is official, and Winn will be available for today's game.
10:19am: The Cardinals are close to signing outfielder Randy Winn, according to the team's official Twitter feed. He was designated for assignment by the Yankees about a week ago.
Winn, 36 next week, hit just .213/.300/.295 in 71 plate appearances for the Yanks, and his merely average defensive performance wasn't even getting him playing time as a late-inning defense replacement by the end of his tenure. The Yanks are still on the hook for his $1.1MM salary, less the pro-rated portion of the league minimum that St. Louis will pay him.
2010 Draft Prospect: Michael Choice
Major League Baseball's amateur draft will be held from June 7th-9th, so we're going to introduce you to some of the top players available between now and then.
At times it seems like nothing excites a team more on draft day than a power college bat willing to sign for slot money, so it should be no surprise that Texas-Arlington outfielder Michael Choice has worked his way into the mix for the top half of the first round. He offers the best of both worlds – a good scouting report and gaudy stats.
Baseball America ranked Choice as the 11th best prospect in this year's draft class while ESPN's Keith Law had him 19th (sub. req'd for both). MLB.com's Draft Report says that he has "big-time raw power to all fields," but notes that his swing mechanics will have to improve in the future. He's a good defender that will likely move to a corner down the road despite his above average speed. The MLB.com link offers video.
Choice has put up ridiculous numbers with Texas-Arlington this spring, hitting .383/.568/.704 with 76 walks to just 54 strikeouts. Although he has a good approach at the plate, his walk total has been boosted by lots of intentional and unintentional-intentional walks because of the generally weak lineup around him.
Every recent mock draft has Choice going within the top ten picks, though Law reported yesterday that the Padres have narrowed their options for the ninth overall pick down to two players, one of whom is Choice. It seems very unlikely that he'll get past that pick.
Olney’s Latest: Orioles, Diamondbacks, Delgado
In today's blog post at ESPN, Buster Olney says a question being asked by some is whether the Orioles' constant losing is infecting the team's great young core, most notably Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, and Matt Wieters. One evaluator said that even though players like Ty Wigginton, Kevin Millwood, and Luke Scott would have trade value at mid-season, the team might be better off holding onto them to help stabilize the young players.
I respectfully disagree, because those players are with the team now and it's obviously just not working. Some new blood might not be the worst thing in the world for Baltimore.
Here are the rest of Olney's rumors…
- Diamondbacks' manager A.J. Hinch pointed the finger directly at himself with regards to who to blame for the team's struggles. "This group hasn't responded that well to me," said Hinch. "I'm scratching and clawing, trying to find the right solution, but I'm not going to run from any accountability."
- The Angels have checked into the condition of Carlos Delgado, who is making his way back from hip surgery and could return in six weeks, if all goes well. They're looking for a Kendry Morales replacement, of course.
Draft Links: Pirates, Astros, Sale, Mets, Padres
A few links to check out with the draft less than 60 hours away…
- The Pirates still don't know who they're going to select with the second overall pick according to The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Karen Price. "But it's not going to be one of those things where all of a sudden you're going to say, 'I didn't see that one coming,' " said head scout Greg Smith.
- Bernardo Fallas of The Houston Chronicle says that Derek Dietrich, Brett Eibner, and Chad Bettis all signed releases allowing the Astros to re-draft them. Houston selected all three out of high school in 2007 but didn't sign any of them, and a player has to consent to being re-drafted by a club. All three are considered top 100 prospects by ESPN's Keith Law (sub. req'd) and Baseball America. The Astros hold three of the top 33 picks.
- Law echoes the report of the Royals pursuing a deal with Yasmani Grandal, and says it could push Chris Sale to the Diamondbacks and give the Mets their choice of Zack Cox or Matt Harvey (sub. req'd).
- He also hears that Grandal going to Kansas City would put the White Sox back on college pitching, and that the Giants have interest in Yordy Cabrera for the 24th overall pick.
- Law also mentions that the Padres have narrowed their options for the ninth overall pick down to Michael Choice and Kolbrin Vitek.
- Zachary Levine of The Houston Chronicle looks at five of the best high school hitters available, as well as the Astros' top picks by decade.
- Meanwhile, Bob Brookover of The Philadelphia Inquirer reviews the Phillies' draft picks from the last decade.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Lowell, Padres, Sale, Buehrle
On this date last season, Randy Johnson threw six innings of one run ball to beat the Nationals and earn his 300th career victory. The Big Unit called it career in January with 303 career wins despite having just 64 on his 30th birthday. His 4,875 strikeouts are the second most all time, though his 10.61 career K/9 is the best mark in history.
The four year, $53.4MM deal the Diamondbacks gave Johnson prior to the 1999 season might be the greatest free agent signing of all time. All he gave them in return was 1030 innings, 81 wins, 1,417 strikeouts, four Cy Young Awards and a World Championship. I'd call that one a win.
Here are a few links from around the world wide netweb…
- The Bottom Line wonders if Ken Griffey Jr.'s retirement opens the door for a Mike Lowell to Seattle trade.
- The Friarhood says it's time for the Padres to get serious about adding a middle-of-the-order bat.
- MLB Depth Charts checks in on prospects who were traded this past offseason.
- Bucs Prospects offers up a first hand scouting report on Florida Gulf Coast lefty Chris Sale, who's expected to be a high pick in next week's draft.
- Examiner wonders if the White Sox should trade Mark Buehrle.
- Meanwhile, Midwest Sports Fan suggests the ChiSox could be in for a turn around this month.
- More Hardball offer up a one-third mark of the season All-Star Team.
- Feeling Dodger Blue wonders if John Ely is the National League's second best rookie.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.
2010 Draft Prospect: Karsten Whitson
Major League Baseball's amateur draft will be held from June 7th-9th, so we're going to introduce you to some of the top players available between now and then.
The 2010 draft class features one truly elite high school righthander in Jameson Taillon, but Karsten Whitson of Chipley High School in Florida isn't far behind him. He offers a nice 6-foot-4, 195 lb. frame that scouts can dream on, but unlike most other prep pitchers, he also offers command and poise beyond his years.
ESPN's Keith Law (sub. req'd) recently ranked Whitson as the fifth best player available this year while Baseball America had him 15th. MLB.com's Draft Report says he throws his fastball in the 91-96 mph range, and also features a swing-and-miss slider, an average changeup and good command. As I already said, it's Whitson's mound presence and polish that really separates him from the pack. The MLB.com link offers video.
High school arms carry the stereotype of being the riskiest demographic among amateurs, so it's often hard to predict where they'll be selected. Baseball America's Jim Callis projected to the Cubs to take Whitson 16th overall, while Law doesn't think he'll last quite that long, instead going 11th overall to the Blue Jays (sub. req'd for both). It's tough to envision him falling past the Red Sox at 20.
Ken Griffey Jr. Announces Retirement
Ken Griffey Jr. has announced his retirement effective immediately, reports John Hickey of AOL FanHouse. He did not report to Safeco Field for the Mariners' game against the Twins tonight, saying "it's over." Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times provides a transcript of Griffey's statement.
Griffey has been in the news quite a bit this season, but not for the reasons the team hoped. There was talk that the Mariners could release him last month following an incident in which he slept through a pinch hitting appearance, and overall he hit just .184/.250/.204 on the year.
Regardless of what happened in 2010, Griffey was one of the greatest players to ever play the game. He retired as a .284/.370/.538 career hitter with 630 homers, good the fifth most all time. During his prime years from 1993-1998, Griffey hit .300/.388/.620 and played a Gold Glove caliber center field, which is the definition of a superstar.
After spending the first 11 seasons of his career in Seattle, Griffey was traded to the Reds for a four player package headlined by Mike Cameron. He signed a nine year, $116.5MM contract shortly thereafter, though his time in Cincinnati was plagued by injury. After a short stint with the White Sox, Griffey returned to the Mariners last season.
Junior earned more than $151MM during his career according to Baseball-Reference.com. The next stop for him is Cooperstown.